Keep Holding On
by peaceloveandmungbeans
Summary: AU. He hugged them like he'd never see them again...
1. Chapter 1

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><p>Rachel Berry had waited to have children, until she was at least twenty five- despite the fact that she married at twenty one. Finn Hudson was the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, the man who had blessed her with three absolutely beautiful children. Five year old Hannah Elyse, a carbon copy of her mother in every single way, three year old Isaac Nathaniel, who looked just like his daddy, and one year old Ava Jean, a daddy's girl right from the beginning.<p>

They had a perfect life- Rachel was the Broadway star everyone knew she was (currently the lead as Elphaba in _Wicked_); Finn was still the mechanic he had been while in high school, keeping an eye on Isaac when he was not at pre-school. They still kept in contact with all of the glee club- they were the kids' beloved aunts and uncles. They got together for special occasions- the last being the birth of Brittany and Santana's little boy, Daniel.

Even though they were in New York permanently, Lima, Ohio was their home. Their families were there, and they were very family orientated. Rachel spoke to her fathers every second night, Carol and Burt calling every other. Shelby phoned twice a week, listening to her daughter's tales about the Broadway stage- the pair had reconciled when she came to McKinley permanently, Shelby even accompanying them to Nationals with Mr Schuester and Miss Pillsbury. They headed back to Lima for Christmas, and the anniversaries of their parents- falling in the same week; they made one trip- and other occasions. Their kids knew Lima just as well as they knew New York City.

"Rach!" Finn called. "Christmas, we're going to your dads'- what day are we leaving? We need to book tickets!"

"Ahead of you already", Rachel laughed, clicking at the laptop and bringing up flight schedules. "I'll fly out with the kids one day, you the next- like we do every year?"

Rachel got two weeks off at Christmas time, finishing up two days earlier than Finn did at the shop. So every year, she would catch a plane to Lima with their kids, Finn joining them the next day.

So as the time got closer, Rachel got to work packing everything they would need- a large suitcase filled with all the clothing their kids would need, and a small suitcase for herself. Hannah and Isaac packed their own backpack, with everything to entertain themselves (colouring books, picture books, pencils and handheld video games) on the plane and when they got to their grandparents house.

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><p>"I love you", Finn said to Rachel, pressing a kiss to her lips, as they got ready to board the plane. Lifting all three kids into his arms at once, he peppered them with kisses. "Be good for Mummy, okay guys? I love you so much; I'll see you tomorrow night!"<p>

"We're coming to pick you up from the airport, Daddy!" Hannah told him excitedly.

"I know baby girl!"

"Is Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine going to be there?" Isaac questioned.

"They'll all be there", he assured them. "Uncle Puck will be waiting for you, Isaac!"

At the age of fifteen, Finn would have laughed at the idea of Noah Puckerman becoming a father. But when Quinn fell pregnant with little Bethany Leigh (his and Rachel's goddaughter), everything changed. Beth was ten, and the apple of her father's eyes. The pair loved being parents so much that they had had another little girl- Ella, also named after a song.

"I love you", Finn said again, kissing Rachel gently, setting the kids down. Hugging them as if he would never see them again, he watched as they headed through the big doors, to board the plane.

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><p>"You sure you don't want us to come with you?" Hiram Berry asked again, as Rachel wrapped Ava in a scarf.<p>

"No, Daddy, its fine", she said breezily.

"The kids could stay here, it'll be late when you get back", Leroy tried.

"Dad, we'll be fine. Won't we Hannie?" she caught her eldest in a one armed hug and the little girl giggled.

"Yep!"

"I promise I'll lock up everything before I go to bed, and that if anything happens, I'll call", she told them- the same promise she had made so many times as a teenager.

"We're gonna go and get Daddy, Poppy", Isaac said cheerfully, wrapping his arms around Hiram's waist. "And tomorrow we're gonna see Granddad and Grandma!"

"You are, aren't you bud?" he agreed, ruffling the little boy's hair.

"Come on, Isaac, time to get into the car", Rachel told him, scooping Ava onto her hip and taking Hannah's hand. "Thanks for this, Dad".

"We'd be more than happy to drive you-"

"We'll be fine". Rachel pecked a kiss to his cheek before bundling the kids into the mini van. "Time to go and get Daddy, what do you think?"

"Yay!"

The chorus was unanimous.

As the children waved to their grandparents, Rachel backed the minivan carefully out of the driveway, heading carefully towards the airport on the icy ground.

"Mummy, can we get ice cream?"

"Isn't it too cold for ice cream?" she wanted to know, humming along to the Broadway tune on the radio.

"It's never too cold for ice cream", Hannah declared, Rachel bursting into laughter (she had used that same excuse so many times, sitting in the backseat of her fathers' car). Her daughter was so much like her in so many different ways.

"You'll have to ask Daddy", she decided, slowing to check the intersection. When she was sure there was nothing coming, she accelerated a little, before a flash of headlights distorted her vision.

She heard a scream…

And everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

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><p>Finn glanced around the airport- his kids could spot him from a mile away, running and screaming towards him. But he heard none of the familiar screams.<p>

Glancing at the big clock, he thought the plane might have landed early- but Rachel would have known that. She was all for scheduling and planning (their first trip to Nationals had been evidence of that- Santana had threatened to tie her up and gag her if she didn't stop waving the itinerary around. And, it being Santana, Rachel believed her).

Glancing around once more, he took a seat in front of the baggage carousel, waiting for the two suitcases he had to make their way around (one with his clothing, the other with their children's Christmas presents).

After half an hour of waiting, he began to grow worried. Rachel was never late- and if she was late, she would come bearing a hand written letter of apology.

Staring at the clock, thinking the worst, he hardly registered when his phone began to ring.

"Hello?" he said distractedly.

He didn't expect to hear his best friend's wife on the other end.

"Finn?" Quinn choked out. "Finn, its Rachel- there-"

"What happened to Rachel?" he demanded. "Quinn, is she okay?"

"Rachel's fine, oh my God, Finn, the kids- Puck's coming to pick you up, you have to come to the hospital!"

"Quinn, what happened? Are the kids okay?"

The blonde was crying too hard to speak. Hanging up the phone, she looked around in despair. In the panic of the situation, she had left Beth in charge of Ella, screaming that they would call later. Standing in the hospital waiting room, she took in the bright lights and the unpleasant smell of disinfectant.

"What happened to Rachel?"

Finn had been outside the moment he saw Puck's truck, throwing the suitcases in the back and leaping into the passenger seat.

"Are the kids okay? Oh my God, please tell me the kids are okay!"

Puck had been trying hard to hold back his own tears, as he shook his head.

As Puck drove to the hospital, he could barely get his words out- but Finn managed to catch the gist of it.

A semi trailer had ploughed through, hitting the backseat of the mini van and knocking Rachel unconscious. The force of the impact had rendered little Hannah and Ava lifeless- and Isaac in a critical condition.

As Puck pulled into the hospital, Finn was sobbing into his hands, as he left the truck. Quinn met him in the door and he fell into her arms, crying so hard his whole body shook.

"Finn", Hiram said gravely, his own eyes red and puffy, his face tear stained.

"You need to see Isaac", Rachel said hoarsely, coming into view, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes bloodshot. "Finn, you need to see Isaac, oh my God.. Isaac!"

He wrapped his arms around her. "Baby are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine", she said numbly, leading him into a room.

The tiny body of their three year old son was hooked up to what seemed like hundreds of machines, his heartbeat making the machine beep. His chest rose and fell methodically, giving Finn some sense of hope. "He's going to be alright, isn't he?" he said to a doctor, taking the little boy's hand. "Come on, buddy, you'll be right. Daddy's here. Daddy's here, bud…"

"Mrs Hudson, Mr Hudson…"

Isaac was brain dead. The only thing keeping him alive was the oxygen they were pumping into his tiny body.

"Stop it", Rachel gasped, as the doctor told them. "No, no, stop it. Not my baby boy. He's my little boy; I can't lose Isaac as well as my girls… I can't lose Isaac!" she sobbed into Finn's chest, as her husband numbly rubbed her back.

They had a decision to make. Whether they let the doctors keep pumping oxygen into his tiny body and live a life that was not a life at all, or let him join his sisters in a better place.

They held him tight, as the doctor switched off the oxygen, holding him until his tiny chest stopped moving. Rachel cried into his shirt, as they saw the bodies of their three lifeless children.

Hannah Elyse Hudson. Her mother's carbon copy, a daddy's little girl, with dreams to make it big on the Broadway stage. The girl with dreams as big as her smile. Dreams that would never be fulfilled.

Isaac Nathaniel Hudson. The little boy who looked so much like his father, who dreamed of becoming a police officer or a firefighter, out to help people. The boy who helped out no matter what.

Ava Jean Hudson. The baby of the family with her mama's eyes and her daddy's smile, too little to know her own dreams. A fighter, who's dreams had been ripped from her before they could even begin.

Three beautiful children, taken away from their parents in a blink of an eye.

A person who lost a partner was called a widow, and a child who lost their parents was called an orphan. There was no word for a parent that had lost a child.


	3. Chapter 3

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><p>The hours that followed was something out of a nightmare. Funeral arrangements for three children.<p>

"Does Kurt know?" Finn said suddenly.

"I spoke to him", Puck nodded. "He and Blaine'll be here in the morning".

Rachel rested her head on her mother's shoulder, Shelby rubbing her back gently. The events of the night had completely drained the brunette of energy, but she had refused every offer to go back to her fathers' house.

Her family was at the hospital, anyway. Her fathers, mother, in-laws, and those who had become family. Will and Emma Schuester had dropped their two children off at Quinn and Puck's (unsure how to answer Beth's wail of 'what happened?'), to join them at the hospital.

None of them could believe it- only hours earlier, Hannah, Isaac and Ava had been bouncing around their grandparents' house, begging for lollies and ice cream.

"It's my fault", Rachel said, lifting her head off Shelby's shoulder. "I should have stopped for ice cream, Hannah asked for ice cream. I said we couldn't get any until we picked up Finn. Oh my God, I killed my children!"

"No", Finn snapped, pulling his wife to her feet and taking her into the hallway. "You didn't. It was the other car's fault, they ran a red light. They ploughed into you, it wouldn't have mattered if you stopped for ice cream or not. It wasn't your fault, do you hear me?"

She fell into his arms once more, sobbing into his chest. Tears leaking out of his own eyes, he rested his chin on the top of her brunette curls, unable to shake the image of their three children out of his head.

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><p>Blaine pulled into the Hummel driveway just on sunrise, having driven through the entire night. He and Kurt had both cried, upon hearing the news, and had packed up their car without a second thought. Driving an hour, Kurt had the sense to take a slight detour to grab Mercedes, stopping only for gas.<p>

Thomas James Hummel-Anderson was sleeping peacefully in his car seat, with his Aunt Mercedes pressed against the window on the other side of him. Kurt had been drifting in and out of a restless sleep for the past three hours, as Blaine contemplated the scene they were about to disturb.

"Hey, Kurt", he said gently, turning off the engine. "Kurt, we're here".

"Where?" Kurt said blearily, before the night before's conversation came flooding back. They were in Lima, three days earlier than expected. "Mercedes, wake up. We're here. Don't wake Thomas".

Her eyelids fluttering, she looked around in confusion.

"I don't think they're home", Blaine decided, after ringing the bell.

"They're probably still at the hospital", Mercedes volunteered. "I'll call Quinn and Puck's place- Beth would be at home, wouldn't she?"

"They wouldn't take Beth to the hospital, she'd stay with Ella", Kurt agreed.

Fourteen year old Beth Puckerman was lying on the couch downstairs, flicking through the channels for what seemed like the thousandth time. She had absolutely no idea what had happened- she only knew it was bad. Her parents had left the house, crying, telling her to look after Ella. Ella had been in bed for hours, but Beth was too wound up to sleep. And when her beloved aunt and uncle dropped her two cousins over at half past eleven, she grew even more confused.

She had tucked Lilly into her bed, before Aiden snuggled down under the blankets in the spare room. She had then resumed her place in the living room, annoyed at her parents (and aunt and uncle) for not telling her where they were going,

When the phone rang, she jumped for it. "Mum?"

"Beth, sweetie, its Aunt Mercedes. Is your mum and dad there?"

"No!" Beth snapped. "They left last night and Uncle Will and Aunt Emma just dropped the kids around- they didn't even tell me what's happening! Is Aunt Rachel and Uncle Finn okay, Aunt Merc? No one told me anything!" she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Mercedes eyes widened. "Beth doesn't know", she mouthed to Kurt and Blaine. "Beth, honey, hold on, hold on, sweetheart. Can we bring Thomas around?"

Beth had tears in her eyes, as she nodded.

"Beth?"

"yeah", she whispered, realising that her aunt couldn't see her. "yeah, he can come over".

"I can't believe Beth doesn't know", Kurt whispered.

"Aunt Merc, what happened?"

"That I can't say, sweetie, I'm sorry". And she truly did sound apologetic.

So after dropping the three year old off at his cousins' house (Beth had accepted the sleepy, grumpy child in her arms without a fuss, wiping his tears and her own), before heading straight to the hospital. They were met out the front by Shelby, who wordlessly led them inside.

"I just got off the phone with Santana", Puck spoke up. "They're on their way, they're just leaving the airport now".

"Tell them to head back to my fathers' house", Rachel said, lifting her head off Finn's shoulder. "I think we're going to head back to my fathers' house".

So the group made the journey from the hospital- leaving their lives behind- to the Berry household. While Hiram, Leroy and Shelby made coffee for everyone, Rachel headed upstairs, bypassing the room her children had slept. She flopped onto the bed, tucking herself under the blanket and letting her tears fall.

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><p>"Quinn, sweetie!" Hiram called, after picking up the ringing telephone. "It's Beth".<p>

"Thanks, Mr Berry". Accepting the phone, Quinn braced herself for the worst.

And her daughter didn't fail to deliver.

"Mother", Beth snapped, her patience wearing thin, "Please explain to me why I was left with four kids last night, and you haven't returned home? Why was I left with four kids? What happened to Aunt Rachel and Uncle Finn? When are you going to be home? I need my mama!"

"Bethy, sweetie", Quinn tried to soothe, "Calm down. Dad and I are going to come home and tell you everything, okay? Is everything okay at home? How are Ella and the other three?"

"They're fine- Mum, what's going on?"

So Quinn bit the bullet. "Beth, there was an accident. Aunt Rachel was on the way to the airport to pick up Uncle Finn, with the kids in the back of the car. Honey, the kids- the kids-"

"Oh my God", Beth breathed.


	4. Chapter 4

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><p>"Daddy, why are you bringing the guitar?" Ella wanted to know, as Puck laid it gently in the trunk of the car.<p>

"I need it for Aunt Rachel, baby", Puck said gently, helping the girl into the car and closing the door. "Mum and I don't like Aunt Rachel and Uncle Finn being sad, so we're trying to help them".

Beth wiped her eyes- she couldn't believe it. It was Boxing Day- the day after they had unwrapped all their presents. Wrapping paper had littered the floor of their house, but their hearts weren't in it. Because there was a pile of presents that should have been unwrapped, squeals of joy that should have been heard. There should have been tiny hugs exchanged, as five year old Hannah stood on the coffee table, belting out the lyrics to Christmas carols, as she had done for the past three Christmases.

There was none of that.

Boxing Day, 2024.

The day Hannah Elyse, Isaac Nathaniel and Ava Jean were buried.

No one wanted to attend a funeral- especially not one of a child.

"Hey honey", Finn said gently, as Beth wrapped her arms around him. He was red eyed and puffy faced, as his goddaughter hugged him tightly.

"Uncle Finn, I don't think I can do this", she whimpered.

"Yeah you can, Bethy", he said gently, rubbing her back, as he had done to her so many times. When she had come to him with a scraped knee, he had stuck a Barbie Band-Aid down with a kiss. When she had had bad dreams while he and Rachel were babysitting, he had tucked her into bed with a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah you can, you're my brave munchkin".

"I can't do this, Uncle Finn, I can't say goodbye".

"I don't want to either, Beth. You're braver than me", he admitted, kissing the top of her blonde curls.

"Hey Beth", Rachel said quietly, and Beth flung her arms around her aunt.

They were all there. Mercedes, Artie, Tina and Mike Chang. Brittany and Santana, Blaine and Kurt, Carole and Burt and Hiram and Leroy. Shelby had Ella sitting in her lap, as she held her gently, the minister speaking about the three children he really didn't know at all.

But tears were falling hard and fast, as memories of the three Hudson kids flowed.

"Bethy, this is your turn", Hiram said gently to the teenager and Beth stood up bravely, clutching the speech she had stayed up half the night to write.

But it was generic. It wasn't what she wanted to say. So, wiping her eyes, she turned to her family and friends who had gathered to say goodbye.

So she went with her heart.

"None of us ever thought we would be here today. No one imagines they will be saying goodbye forever to a child, much less to their own child. Nothing could be crueler or more unfair- aside from saying goodbye to three. Hannah Elyse, Isaac Nathaniel and Ava Jean. Three angels that God called home", she began, locking eyes with her teary Aunt Rachel.

"Many of you will have your own special memories of the three of them- Hannah's little performances on the coffee table, Isaac's rough and tumble nature, Ava's sweet giggle. The cuddles that Hannah would give spontaneously, the jokes that Isaac would tell and get the punch line wrong, snuggles with the ever loveable Ava".

Finn smiled for the first time since the accident- Ava was his little daddy's girl, always one for a cuddle. Isaac was the little prince, always in trouble, but one grin with his white baby teeth could melt their hearts. And Hannah was their performer, in every way.

"I held all three of them the day they were born- Hannah in the morning, Isaac in the middle of the afternoon and Ava late at night. Uncle Finn's smile had never been brighter, as he held his newborn baby in his arms, and Aunt Rachel, while she had been exhausted, looked overjoyed. We all were- each baby was just another member to our mishmash family".

Quinn squeezed Rachel's shoulders, as she looked on proudly at her daughter. It seemed like only yesterday that they were at regionals- that first year in glee- rushing to the hospital. She had been passed around from arm to arm, that night, and had made an appearance at almost every rehearsal until they graduated. Beth was their good luck mascot- how did she grow up so fast?

"Aunt Rachel, Uncle Finn, we will be forever proud of your three kids. Because they weren't just yours. They were grandchildren, nieces and nephew, cousins and friends as well as your children. They were all a part of our lives, all three impacting our lives to some extent".

Hiram, Leroy and Shelby and Burt and Carol's grandchildren. Will and Emma's, Santana and Brittany's, Mercedes and Shane's, Tina and Mike Chang's, Artie and Lilly's, Blaine and Kurt's nieces and nephew. Puck and Quinn's godchildren. Beth and Ella and the rest of the gang's cousins.

"Whenever we lose someone we love suddenly, we are left distraught, grief stricken and angry. Why? That' always the question asked. Why was it them? Out of all the children on earth, they are the three that deserved it the least. Why? I'm so sorry, but there just isn't an answer. God knows we have all cried so many tears for the three children that we will never get to see grow up".

I know it doesn't seem possible, but, in time the edge will be taken off. We will come to realise that Hannah, Isaac and Ava are safe and loved where they are, even if they aren't with us. As it is with all loved ones, we wish we could talk to them once more. To hear their voices once more- if only heaven had a telephone. I will think of Hannah, Isaac and Ava every single day, never to be forgotten. Tears will still come, as time goes on, the pain will subside. We have always have memories. Memories of three beautiful angels that God called home".

Rachel wrapped the girl in her arms, Beth putting her head on the brunette's shoulder.

"Bethy, thank you", she whispered, choking out a sob.

As Beth stepped down, Puck stepped up, his guitar looking every bit out of place against his black suit. Strumming and plucking gently, he pressed a kiss to Rachel's temple.

"_Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same, if I saw you in heaven? I must be strong, and carry on, 'cause I know, I don't belong, here in heaven_..."

There wasn't a dry eye in the room.


	5. Chapter 5

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><p><em>Broadway star Rachel Berry (currently the lead as green-skinned Elphaba Thropp in Wicked) has taken a minimum of three months off the stage, following the accident that changed her life forever. Currently residing in her hometown of Lima, Ohio, with her family and husband Finn Hudson, the pair are mourning the loss of their three children in a car accident three days before Christmas.<em>

_The star had always put her children first, having had two girls and a boy. Hannah, Isaac and Ava Hudson sadly passed away in a car accident, travelling along the icy roads of Ohio. It is said the driver of the other vehicle had a blood alcohol limit of three times the legal amount, but nothing has yet been confirmed._

_Berry's understudy, Amelia Springett, is to take over for the star in her time off the stage._

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><p>They stayed in Lima, with Rachel's fathers- but it didn't mean they didn't see the rest of their family. Shelby had almost moved into the guest bedroom of the men's house, and Carole and Burt visited every day. They were all still in shock, at how short life could be.<p>

"We need to go back to New York", Rachel told her husband, almost three weeks after the accident.

"Rach-"

"We need to put our life back together", she told him, falling into his embrace. Finn, his heart aching at the thought of seeing their house, strewn with toys, hugged her tight.

So, three days later, they flew back to New York- with Puck, Quinn, Beth and Ella on their heels, taking the red eyed flight later that same day.

Their house was in the same condition it had been the day Finn left to fly back to Lima. Clean, but not spotless. Hannah and Ava's dollhouse in the corner of the living room, a stack of children's DVDs on the coffee table (Hannah and Isaac had been arguing over which discs to take to their grandparents' houses), a small mountain of blocks scattered on the rug. And, of course, the child-sized fold out couch, covered in Tinkerbell fabric, where Ava would reside when the day got too much for her.

All memories of the children they had lost.

"We're parents without children!" Rachel sobbed that night, tucked under the blankets of their big bed.

Rachel and Finn had decided that three was the perfect number. Two little girls and a little boy, the perfect family. If they had more, they would consider it a miracle, but three was their number.

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><p>It had been five months since the accident, when Rachel rushed off the stage at their rehearsal. With her co-stars giving her looks, she ran to the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet and emptying her stomach. She had felt nauseous that day, and had woken up with stomach pains, but had put it down to hormones.<p>

But her period wasn't due for two weeks.

With a gasp, she realised something- she had skipped the month before.

Flushing and rinsing her mouth, she located her phone backstage and punched in Quinn's number.

"Hey Rach, what's happening?" Quinn said cheerfully. "How's life on the stage? We're heading to New York in a couple of weeks, for Ella's birthday- she wants to see her Aunt Rach-"

"I think I'm pregnant".

That was not what the blonde expected to hear.

"What?" Quinn gasped, almost slipping off the chair. "You're what?"

"I think".

"You don't know?"

"No".

"Does Finn-"

"No".

"Is this-"

"I don't know".

"What about-"

"I don't know".

Quinn let out a whistle. "And what about you?" she dared to ask.

"I don't know", Rachel whispered. "It hasn't even been a whole six months, Quinn- I think about those three every single day, and it hurts so much to know that I can't tuck them into bed or hold them tight. And I know Finn feels exactly the same way. We're parents without children".

"But you've got three angels".

"But it's not the same", Rachel countered.

She and Finn had talked about more kids. But they had both agreed that they would wait. Kids wouldn't ease the pain of losing Hannah, Isaac and Ava. But they would be parents with children- and three guardian angels looking down on them.

"Take a test", Quinn advised. "Stop stressing yourself out. You won't know unless you take a test".

(At sixteen, Quinn had waited ten days before taking a pregnancy test, in the hope of her period coming. Instead of her period, she got a carbon copy of herself, and the glee club got the good luck charm that everyone loved.)

"Oh, and call me as soon as you know", Quinn added quickly.

"I will".

And that night, she found herself staring down at a positive pregnancy test.

"Oh my God".


	6. Chapter 6

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><p>When she told Finn, she honestly thought his eyes were going to roll out of his head. He stood there, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound.<p>

"Babe, you look like a fish", she said unhelpfully, as Finn continued to stare.

"Pregnant?" he said finally, and her face fell.

"I took a pregnancy test this afternoon and it was positive, but you know pregnancy tests, they aren't one hundred percent positive, I have to see a doctor. I know it hasn't been that long- that long since the accident, and I know we never discussed when we would actually try for another child but we both said we wanted another baby, not a replacement, this baby would never replace those kids, but-"

"You're having a baby?" Finn's face broke into a smile, and Rachel relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. "We're going to have a baby!"

He whooped, lifting her off the ground and making her squeal.

"I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, so we can actually see whether or not I'm pregnant", she told him, as he set her on the ground once more. "You're really happy about this?"

"I really am", he told her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her passionately. "We're going to have a baby!"

But, in true Finn and Rachel fashion, there was drama. Anything involving the pair of them had to have drama, Quinn had told them with a laugh, Santana nodding animatedly along with them.

The doctor turned to them, his eyes wide.

"She is pregnant, right?" Finn checked (Rachel had forbade him from phoning Lima until they were sure she was actually pregnant). "I mean, the pregnancy test was right, right?"

"Oh, she's pregnant", Dr McCarthy nodded. "She's pregnant, alright".

"What do you mean?" Rachel wanted to know, touching her stomach gingerly.

He pointed to the ultrasound screen. "See that little blob there? That's your baby".

"That's my baby?" Finn had tears in his eyes, as he had when he had first seen baby Beth (when he thought his beloved goddaughter was his daughter), Hannah, Isaac and Ava. "Rach, that's our baby!"

"I see, honey!" Rachel was overjoyed.

"And see that little blob there? That's the baby's brother or sister". Dr McCarthy pointed, and Finn almost fell of his chair.

"Twins?" he all but shrieked.

"We're having twins?" Rachel asked in amazement.

"Wait for it", the doctor smiled. "And right there? That's number three".

"TRIPLETS?" Finn howled, before promptly falling off the chair.

"Triplets?" Rachel said hollowly, ignoring her husband.

"Triplets", the doctor confirmed with a nod.


	7. Chapter 7

**I hope everyone had a great Christmas (here in Australia its just drawing to a close). Read and review!**

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><p>"It's not that funny, Puckerman", Finn snapped down the phone, as both Quinn and Puck unsuccessfully tried to hold in their laughter. "Seriously, Quinn-"<p>

It was a better reaction than they had gotten from their parents. Finn and Rachel had instructed the five of them to gather in Hiram and Leroy Berry's house, calling them on speakerphone.

There had been silence for at least two minutes, prompting Finn to check if they were still alive.

"Honey, triplets?" Shelby had said in shock.

Kurt and Blaine had been next on the list- when Rachel told them, she had heard their gasps.

"Triplets?" Kurt had said faintly, before promptly following his brother's footsteps and falling off his chair (there had been shrieks from Blaine and Thomas and hysterical laughter from Rachel, as they no doubt replayed the scene she witnessed had the afternoon before).

Rachel could only imagine Santana and Brittany's comments- while Santana's nicknames were more loving than spiteful (as they had been when they were teenagers), she rolled them out by the bucketful. "You'll be as round as you are tall!" she could only imagine the Latina chortling.

"But seriously, Rachel, triplets?" Quinn said.

"Imagine how we felt, Fabray!"

"Its Puckerman to you", she shot back with a grin. "Wow… I have to say, this is not what I expected when I saw your name on the phone".

"Do you think we expected it, Quinn?" Finn asked her.

He had woken up to find himself on the floor of the ultrasound room, Rachel standing over him worriedly. For a moment, he thought it had been a dream, but then reality sunk in.

They had lost three beautiful children less than six months ago- their guardian angels. And somehow, they had found themselves pregnant with three more.

"It has to be saying something", he had said to Rachel on the way home, and she had nodded animatedly, almost too wound up to speak.

"Listen, I've got to go and pick up Bethy and Ella, but I'll call you back tonight", Quinn told them. "Wow, imagine what they're going to say… wait, can I tell the girls?"

"You can tell the girls", Finn agreed, "But tell them to keep it on the down low".

"No one says that", Puck objected.

"I say that!"

Rachel laughed, calling down the phone. "Bye guys! Love you!"

"Love you too", Quinn replied, leaving their husbands to talk among themselves.

"Triplets".

"Yep".

"Didn't expect that".

"Didn't even know she was freakin' pregnant".

"Freaking out?"

"Hell yes".

"Happy?"

"Never been happier". Finn broke into a dopey grin, smiling to himself.

He was going to be a father with children once more.


	8. Chapter 8

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><p>Rachel loved being pregnant. She loved the feeling of the baby moving inside her, touching her hand to the bump and knowing that she was its protector. No one in the world loved that baby as much as she did. As Shelby had said once before, it was like literally having your heart running around outside your body.<p>

Touching the tips of her fingers to her stomach, she felt them tingle, a reaction to the three tiny babies growing inside her.

She knew the risks that a multiple birth could bring, on both herself and the infants. Premature births, leading to weeks in intensive care, their every breath being monitored. Complications with herself.

But for that one moment, she felt safe. She made them feel safe.

"Hey Rach", Finn said cheerfully, stepping into their bedroom and sitting on the end of the bed.

"Hey", Rachel said with a smile, glancing up from her book. "I'm going into work tomorrow, and I'm telling them".

"You are going to go back, though?"

"Absolutely", she nodded. "I love being on stage, I love the audience, I love everything about Broadway. But I love these babies more". That was what she had said,

Moving to sit beside his wife, he smiled as Rachel leaned against him, her head on his chest.

"Everything's going to be okay, right?" Finn checked. "I mean, with everyone?"

"We're going to be fine, I promise". He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Everything's going to be okay".

* * *

><p>"You're glowing!" Shelby laughed, as Rachel stepped into the Berry household, Finn right behind her. "Aw, Rachel, you look amazing!"<p>

At fifteen weeks pregnant, Finn and Rachel had made the decision to come home to Lima, for what would possibly be the last time until the babies were born. Their family and friends (friends that were family, Rachel had protested when Finn had said otherwise) had all planned to come to New York upon their birth to visit the couple, but they all knew that it would be the last time they would see them in Lima.

"Hi baby", Hiram said happily, as Rachel kissed his cheek.

"Hi Mum, hi Dad, hi Daddy", she said with a grin.

As the girl who had won Nationals, she would have never pictured her life turning out that way. That the glee couples would stay on to marry and have children. Sam and Mercedes and little Mollie. Tina and Mike. Brittany and Santana and little Daniel. Kurt and Blaine and Thomas. Artie and his wife Lena, with little. Puck and Quinn with Beth and Ella, who weren't so little any more. will and Emma with Aiden and Lilly. And Finn and herself. Triplets on the way.

"Thanks Mum!" Rachel hugged her tight. "I can't wait until these babies are born… I mean, I know it's still a long time away, but there's so much stuff to do!"

In his time off work, Finn had been fixing up the room they would use as a nursery- they had a cot, but two more needed to be purchased. A change table was already in the corner, and they had a fair amount of toys- but they weren't even nearly ready.

"It'll be time for those babies before you know it", Carol promised, kissing Finn's cheek.

"Hey hobbit!" Santana called cheerfully, knocking on the door to the Berry house. "Mr and Mr Berry, Burt, Carol… Coach Corcoran".

(While Santana was part of the family, she still had trouble referring to Shelby as Shelby- something the older brunette found endlessly amusing).

"Hello Santana", Shelby said with a smile, and Brittany bounced in beside her wife, Daniel sitting up in his arms.

"Hello!" Finn reached out to tickle the little boy's bare foot and he squealed with laughter.

So much had changed since high school- Finn had freaked out when Quinn even suggested he hold his goddaughter. Newborn baby Beth was so little, and he was so not… Frankenteen, Santana had called him so many times. But he was perfectly happy to cradle any baby, his own or otherwise- and Beth was no baby any more.

So much had changed… but when they all got together, it was like they were the teenagers soaking up their Nationals win once more. Laughing, joking- all the inside jokes from their New York trip and otherwise. Those moments that no one but they understood.

Things were changing fast, but Rachel knew that they would never be apart.


	9. Chapter 9

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><p>Rachel's pregnancy was going perfectly. Her morning sickness was completely gone, and she was happy arguing with Finn about the way they would redecorate the nursery (Finn wanted the cowboys and Indians theme he had had as a child, and Rachel was vouching for a nursery rhyme theme). Finn had started to come home even earlier from work- taking more days off than he actually was at the shop- and they spent their days together.<p>

But it was that Monday afternoon that things changed.

"Finn, something feels wrong", Rachel said urgently, standing up from her chair with a jolt. "And not a good wrong, this is bad. Finn, I think we need to get to the hospital".

She felt the beginning ripples of what was a contraction- and at only twenty six weeks, she knew that was bad. She had gone into labour with Hannah at thirty six weeks, and had panicked at her daughter's early arrival. Isaac had been a little early- ten days- and Ava had arrived right on her due date. Twenty six weeks was way too early.

"It's too soon", Finn said in confusion.

"Well these babies don't think so", Rachel told her husband, gripping his hand with all her strength and gritting her teeth. "Please, I need to see a doctor. Come on, we need to go".

Finn grabbed her bag and hurried her out to the car, helping her into the front seat.

"Call my mum, she'll know what's wrong", Finn advised her, pulling onto the street and hurrying along at break-neck speed. "Call one of them, let them know".

"No, not until we're sure", she told him. "Finn, we need to get to the hospital-" she let out a gasp, clutching her bulging stomach. "Finn, oh my God, it hurts!"

Finn had watched his wife go through three natural, pain relief free births, and never had he seen that look on her face. It was a look of pain and terror and absolute fear.

"We're going, baby", he assured her, screaming through a set of traffic lights.

It took a total of four minutes for the couple to get to the hospital- breaking several road laws and very nearly running over an elderly man- before Finn carefully helped Rachel from the car, taking her straight to emergency.

"Excuse me!" he shouted, as Rachel eased herself into a chair. "My wife, having our babies- she's only twenty six weeks! We need to see a doctor, now!"

"Calm down sir", a nurse told him calmly, having dealt with husbands like Finn before. "We need you to fill in this paperwork-"

"Finn!" Rachel let out a shriek, grabbing his hand in alarm. "Finn, I don't know what's happening, I'm so scared!"

"No, no paperwork, that's Rachel Berry, Broadway, she needs to see a doctor, she's having TRIPLETS and she's only twenty six weeks along!"

The nurse helped Rachel into a wheelchair, before moving the overly pregnant brunette to a room. "The doctor will be right here", she assured her.

Tears fell freely, as she stared around the hospital room.

"I can't lose these babies, Finn", she said hoarsely, and he felt himself being pulled closer. "I can't lose these babies like I did to Hannah, Isaac and Ava. I don't want to have six babies in heaven!"

Tears fell down his own cheeks, as he held Rachel tight. "It's going to be okay", he said numbly. "It's going to be okay".

* * *

><p>It felt like an hour for the couple, but it was only a minute, before their doctor bustled into the room.<p>

"Rachel, hi", he said, before glancing at Finn. "Alright, we need to check to see if you're dilated- and we need to put you on a drip. Twenty six weeks is too early for these babies, we're aiming for thirty, thirty one weeks. They'll be tiny, but they'll have a better chance of surviving. Before twenty six weeks is almost impossible. Possible, but not likely".

Finn helped her change into a hospital gown, before the doctor examined her.

"You're two centimetres dilated", he informed her. "Rachel, I'm sorry, but for the duration of your pregnancy, you need bed rest.

"Bed rest?" Rachel wailed, and Finn's heart dropped.

"All for the babies, Rachel", the doctor assured her, and her shoulders fell.

"The whole time?"

"Yes".

"We can try and stop you dilating- there are lots of things we can do about that- but once your water breaks, we have to deliver those babies. This can be prolonged by bed rest, which is why you're going to stay here", he told her firmly. "Because there are three separate amniotic sacs, we can possibly deliver the babies separately, but it's not a risk we're willing to take, unless it's necessary".

"The whole time?" Finn checked, and their doctor nodded.

"It's for the babies", Rachel told him.

* * *

><p>That very same day, Rachel was moved into a room, her permanent resident for as long as they could keep the babies inside her. A cot was moved in for Finn, and he ducked home to get clothes for himself.<p>

He glanced at the photo sitting on the mantelpiece, their last family photo taken on Ava's first birthday. Rachel held the little girl in her arms, as Isaac grinned from his father's lap. Hannah, at five years old, grinned cheesily between the pair, looking more like her mother than ever.

He loved those children more than anything else in the world- and those babies, growing inside his wife, were just as precious. Picking up the phone, he dialled his mother and stepfather's number.

"Finn, is everything alright?" Carol said immediately.

"Can you get to the Berrys'? I'm going to call Shelby, we have an announcement for you", he said, and Carol nodded.

"Of course- is Rachel okay?"

He didn't answer, putting down the phone and dialling Shelby's number, repeating the same message.

Ten minutes later, a phone call came through to their landline.

"Hello?" Finn said.

"Finn, what's going on?" Leroy wanted to know, as the five grandparents crowded around the phone in the Berry kitchen. "what's happening?"

"well-"

"Finn?" Shelby said. "Is Rachel okay?"

"Um…"

"Oh my God, Finn, what happened?" Burt wanted to know.

"Rachel- she went into labour this afternoon, Burt", he said honestly. "We went to the hospital- her waters didn't break, so they aren't delivering the babies. They've got her on a drip and on bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy- we're both staying at the hospital".

"Bed rest?" Carol repeated.

"Oh, that's going to kill Rachel", Leroy murmured to his husband and Shelby, and the pair nodded knowingly. She had been moving around since the day she was born, it taking a lot of effort to even stand still. Being confined to a bed would be the end of the Rachel Berry they knew.

"I'm so scared", he confessed, his voice shaking with emotion. "We can't lose these babies; that would be the end for Rachel. She fell apart when we lost the other three; you guys really have no idea…"

"She's going to be fine", Carol said; the voice of authority. She wished she could be there to hug her son, rub his back, and tell him everything was going to be okay- just like she had done when Quinn admitted her pregnancy.

Holding back his tears, he bid their parents farewell, before putting his head on the table and crying. It was just like when Quinn was pregnant with Beth- he was so scared for that little baby, not knowing where his life was going. This time, however, it was three babies he was worrying about- Beth had turned out perfectly. He hoped his triplets would be even half as healthy as she was.

* * *

><p>"Mum?" Rachel said in confusion, as Shelby stood in the door.<p>

"Hi Shelby", Finn murmured from the cot in the corner, his confusion lost in his sleep altered state. While Shelby had told him that she would be flying to New York, he didn't expect her to jump on the first flight.

"What are you doing here?"

"I haven't taken a day off in over six years. When I told them I needed time off for personal reasons, they didn't question it". Shelby took a seat on the end of the bed, reaching out for her daughter's hand. "Rachel, sweetie-"

That was all it took for the brunette to break down in tears. "Mummy, I'm so scared!"

"Oh, baby", Shelby murmured, gathering the girl in her arms, like she would a five year old (like she had done to Beth many times, when the girl was tiny- and her three grandchildren). "I know, sweetie, I know… you've got to stay here, for the babies. I know its going to be hard, but you'll have three healthy babies".

She rubbed her back, as Finn slipped out of the room to let the mother daughter pair have their moment.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Quinn blasted.

"Quinn?"

"No, it's Michelle Obama", she said sarcastically. "Rachel's on bed rest? What the hell? Finn!"

"Quinn!" he argued back, and for a moment, it was like they were back in high school.

But they weren't. They were so far away from high school it wasn't funny.


	10. Chapter 10

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><p>It had taken Finn a split second to realise exactly how precious life was- and after that dawning realization, he had taken to recording every moment of Rachel's pregnancy.<p>

"Rach", he cooed gently, and the feisty brunette glared.

"Finn Hudson", she growled, trying to shift a little on the bed. "If you don't put that damn camera down, I swear to God-"

(Finn never thought he'd hear those words come out of the mouth of Rachel Berry, Broadway legend. And if Santana had been there, she never would have lived it down.)

The days seemed endless, in the hospital. Checks what seemed to be every five minutes, a new doctor coming in and poking and prodding her.

But at their house, it was a completely different story. With Finn home for no more than twenty minutes a day (to change clothes and have a shower), Quinn, Puck and the girls and all five of their parents had taken it over.

They had repainted the room that had been Ava's a sunshine yellow colour, a border of jungle animals along the walls. Swapping the single cot for two more, Quinn was very proud of the work they had done.

"We should have a baby shower!" she had said excitedly to Beth, the day they finished painting.

"The paint fumes have got to your head, Mum, the mother to be's in the hospital", Beth had said sarcastically, making both Puck and Shelby snicker.

Regardless of Rachel's status, Quinn had called everyone they knew, organizing a variety of gifts and presents for the mother to be.

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><p>As the weeks passed, the Hudson house had gone from baby fever to holiday fever. The candles for Hanukah had been lit, and a Christmas tree was up. Presents scattered the living room, for both Finn and Rachel, their new babies and those staying in the house.<p>

With two days until Christmas (Beth and Ella had been counting down the days with their chocolate advent calendars Shelby bought them), the festive season was in full swing.

On Rachel's birthday, celebrated in her hospital room with a single cupcake and presents, Finn had put up a tiny Christmas tree in the corner, and day by day was bringing gifts. She hated being in the hospital- and did not keep her opinion quiet- but loved the attention from her husband.

But, on the morning of that December twenty third, she woke up in pain. And knew, that exactly one year to the day she lost her babies, she would be gaining three more.

"Finn", she said urgently, leaning over and jabbing him in the side. "Finn, wake up".

"Whass wrong?" he murmured, folded up in the tiny couch.

"The babies are coming. I'm going to have these babies today, I can feel it".

"We're having our babies!" he all but hollered, untangling his limbs and running out into the hallway.

Wincing a little, she glanced at the photo next to her bed- Hannah, Isaac and Ava, almost a year before. They were posed for their annual Hudson family Santa photo, smiling brighter than ever.

"I love you", Rachel whispered. "And these babies are going to know about their big brother and sisters. I miss you".


End file.
